Throughout the years, we have witnessed some monumental clashes among the search engine behemoths. As Google, Bing, and Yahoo engaged in intense competition for market dominance, we closely followed their every move. However, a fresh contender has emerged on the scene: Bing’s chatbot AI.

Microsoft’s introduction of this experimental tool on February 7, 2023, not only propelled them to the forefront of the race but also compelled Google to view Bing as a credible contender for the future of search.

Nevertheless, the query that looms is whether Bing’s Chat AI has what it takes to outcompete Google Bard. Let us delve deeper into this matter.

How Bing Chat AI Fares Now

Bing’s new chatbot, powered by OpenAI, was created to improve search results and provide users with a fresh search experience. The results have been impressive, as Bing has now garnered 100 million daily active users. Although this number appears small in comparison to Google’s user base, it was enough to prompt Google to sound a “code red” and launch their experimental chatbot, Bard.

On March 8, 2023, Yusur Mehdi, Microsoft’s Director of Marketing, announced that Bing had surpassed 100 million daily active users following the launch of their Chat AI a month ago. Mehdi noted that approximately one-third of these users were new to Bing, indicating that the new addition to Bing’s search experience is attracting a fresh audience. Mehdi also highlighted the unique value proposition of combining Search + Answers + Chat + Creation in one experience, which appears to resonate with users.

This achievement underscores two important points. Firstly, Bing’s launch-first-debug-later strategy has been highly effective, positioning Bing as a pioneer in the AI chat field, and pushing Google to play catch-up with their delayed Bard launch. Secondly, Bing’s approach to reinventing the search experience appears to be on the right track. After a month of beta testing and a few weeks of open testing for waitlisted users, it’s now possible to gain a better understanding of how Bing’s Chat AI is performing.

How to Access Bing’s AI Chatbot

To try out Bing’s AI Chatbot for yourself, simply locate it as a new feature on their search bar. You can find it under the “Let’s chat” button or the “Chat” button at the bottom of the search box, or by clicking the “Chat” option on the Bing homepage.

Once you’ve accessed the chatbot page, you’ll notice that it differs significantly from a typical search bar. It feels more like chatting with another person on a platform like Google Teams or Slack, providing a more conversational search experience.

As someone who has been testing it for the past two weeks, I can attest to its significant improvements over the functionality and user experience of ChatGPT.

One key advantage of New Bing is its ability to access the internet and current data, going beyond ChatGPT’s capabilities. It also includes sources and footnotes in search results, addressing a major issue with ChatGPT.

Like ChatGPT, New Bing is content-aware and will remember your previous searches, allowing you to ask follow-up questions for more information without starting over. However, there is a character limit of 2000 per question.

New Bing also provides chat prompts for other search options, offering follow-up questions like “What is online reputation management?” after selecting a prompt such as “What is the meaning of SEO?”. This can lead to a more engaging conversation experience that scrolls to a different area of the website.

After testing New Bing over the last few days, I’ve found that the results are helpful when choosing a prompt after searching. Overall, the conversational and content-aware capabilities of New Bing make it a worthwhile search tool to try out.

How Does Bing’s AI Chatbot Respond?

New Bing has made significant strides in improving the search experience with its ability to access the internet and current data. What sets it apart from ChatGPT is its inclusion of sources and footnotes in search results, effectively addressing a key issue with the latter.

Furthermore, New Bing is content-aware and remembers your previous searches, allowing you to ask follow-up questions without having to start over. However, there is a limit of 2000 characters per question.

The chat prompts for other search options are also noteworthy, providing users with follow-up questions that lead to a more engaging conversation experience that scrolls to a different area of the website.

After several days of testing, I can confirm that New Bing is a helpful tool, especially when selecting a prompt after searching.

Recent Updates with Bing’s AI Chatbot

Since its initial launch, Microsoft has introduced several updates to the AI chatbot, addressing some of the earliest criticisms. One notable update is that the chatbot now offers replies in three different tones. The default setting is “Balanced,” which generates neutral responses that do not take sides on a specific topic. Other options include “Creative,” which generates more playful and original responses, and “Precise,” which generates the most concise and factual responses.

Another new feature is the ability to generate images, currently a work in progress. The feature is built on the DALL·E model, which allows users to generate images by typing the prompt “create an image,” followed by their instructions.

Despite these updates, the search function on the chatbot is still limited to only 15 queries per session and 150 queries per day. Users can track the number of queries remaining for each topic at the bottom-right of the most recent response provided by Bing.

How Does Bing Chat AI Compare to Google Bard?

Bing is revolutionizing the way users interact with search engines, leveraging the wealth of search behavior data it has accumulated with ChatGPT. With its innovative approach, Bing can offer users a unique and improved search experience, one that Google currently cannot match. However, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into significant traffic gains over Google’s massive search volume.

That being said, Google is not taking Bing’s challenge lightly. Known for its highly efficient algorithm, Google has recently opened up its waitlist for its new AI chatbot, Bard. While details on Bard’s capabilities are scarce, Google has stated its intent to improve on the Knowledge Graph Cards that currently populate its SERPS, especially when answering NORA (No One Right Answer) queries.

While Bing’s approach appears to focus on publishers, Google’s focus is squarely on the content itself. As both platforms continue to evolve, it remains to be seen which approach will emerge as the more successful one.

Can Bing Chatbot AI Take Over?

The question of whether Bing AI Chat could surpass Google Bard as the leading chatbot technology raises several considerations. Both Bing Chat AI and Google Bard use artificial intelligence to interact with users and provide information or assistance. Here are some points to ponder:

User experience: The success of any chatbot depends largely on its user experience. A chatbot is more likely to be effective if it is easy to use, provides reliable information, and can understand user queries. Google has a longer history and a more established track record of providing an excellent user experience. Bing Chat AI is still developing, but it may catch up in terms of user experience.

Features and capabilities: The features and capabilities of each chatbot should be taken into account. Google Bard is known for its ability to understand complex queries and provide precise answers. It also works well with other Google products, such as Maps and Search. On the other hand, Bing Chat AI is still in its early stages and may not have as many features and functionalities as Google Bard.

Integration with other services: Another critical factor in the success of a chatbot is its integration with other services. Google Bard has a significant advantage in this regard because it can interface with other Google services like Maps and Search. This makes it easier for users to find information and get the assistance they need. Bing Chat AI is backed by Microsoft, which has a wide range of services and tools that it can integrate with, but it is still developing its integration capabilities.

Market share: Finally, market share is another consideration. Google is the dominant search engine, and Google Bard is integrated into its search results pages. This gives Google Bard a significant advantage in terms of visibility and accessibility. However, Bing Chat AI is also supported by a major tech company and has the potential to grow its market share over time.

It is difficult to say definitively whether Bing Chat AI will eventually surpass Google Bard in terms of market share or popularity. However, one thing is clear – chatbots are becoming increasingly popular in search and are already being used by major companies such as Amazon and Microsoft.

As more companies begin integrating chatbots into their customer service systems, they are likely to become even more prevalent in the near future.

What Can We Learn From Bing’s Chatbot?

Bing has revolutionized the search engine industry by becoming the first search engine to exhibit the power of AI-driven functions, like a chatbot feature. However, this has also highlighted the difficulty and unpredictability of working with new AI tools.

The beta tests with Microsoft’s Bing chatbot have been extensively documented, showcasing the surprises and mistakes it committed in its early stages. Microsoft was able to rectify these errors by implementing additional content-generation safeguards, enhancing OpenAI’s built-in restrictions, thanks to the open beta tests.

Microsoft’s new AI presents a groundbreaking way of searching, ushering in a new era of online information interaction by incorporating conversational AI that uses a vast search database and powerful AI language models.

Nevertheless, there is still a looming risk of potentially serious consequences since AI models, even Bing’s chatbot, could struggle to differentiate between fact and fiction. Despite Google’s vast resources and development, Bard also presented misinformation on the day of its big reveal.

Despite this, every Big Tech company is engaged in an open AI arms race. Meta announced its focus on generative AI, while Snapchat disclosed an ongoing experiment with OpenAI, the same firm that Microsoft is working with for its AI-powered chatbot.

Although these tools are fascinating, users must exercise caution in how they engage with the information provided by these conversational AIs. I fear that the breakneck speed at which these companies are progressing may result in “experimental” features that are ultimately less credible or functional than standard search.

Key Take Aways

Bing Chat AI’s early release has the potential to revolutionize the search landscape and SEO, challenging tech giants in user experience, features, and integration capabilities.

However, the success of each chatbot, including Google Bard vs. Bing AI, ultimately depends on meeting the needs of its users and effectively distinguishing itself in the market.

While Bing AI had a promising start, it remains uncertain how it will fare against its rivals since Google Bard is yet to be released to the public. Nevertheless, Bing AI’s beta testing and initial release provide some interesting insights into how AI can transform search.

Only time will tell if Bing Chatbot AI can compete successfully, but its capabilities make it a tool worth exploring. The SEO Services Agency in Manila, Philippines, discusses whether Bing Chat AI can surpass Google Bard in a recent post.